This invention relates to a bracket assembly for securing a wall member, such as a drywall board, to a commonly used metal channel type ceiling track.
A common wall construction in commercial and institutional buildings is formed of drywall boards secured to metal studs. A partition is first formed of spaced vertical studs secured at their respective upper and lower ends to ceiling and floor tracks. Ceiling boards are first secured to the ceiling joists and then the wall boards are abutted to the ceiling boards and secured to both the vertical studs and the ceiling and floor tracks. The wall boards must be accurately sized to avoid any gap between a wall board and a ceiling board. Should a wall board be improperly sized, it may have to be removed and replaced. In addition to the problem of proper sizing, conventional room structures have another inherent problem, that being the inability to flex or move at the ceiling level. It is required in some structures that a ceiling flex or move in response to forces applied on the floor above the ceiling. Conventional room structures require somewhat complicated and expensive arrangements of the partition studs to achieve the desired ceiling movement. Without proper allowance for ceiling movement, damage to walls could result from the applied forces.
This invention overcomes the wall sizing and ceiling movement problems stated above, by providing a bracket assembly which receives the upper end portion of a wall board and secures the wall board to the ceiling track of the partition while allowing size deviations to the wall board and, in addition, permits movement of the ceiling with the housing portion of the assembly sliding on the wall board. Wall board replacement for improper sizing is eliminated by using this invention and ceiling movement is achieved without need of complicated and expensive stud arrangements. The bracket assembly of this invention is simple in structure, economical to manufacturer, and easy to use.